latecomer
/ˈleɪtkʌmə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈleɪtkʌmər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlāt-ˌkə-mər/ (ame, mw)
latecomer — noun
- latecomersingular
- latecomersplural
1. someone who turns up to a place, meeting, or event after most other people have
someone who turns up to a place, meeting, or event after most other people have already gotten there or after it has begun. Also used more broadly for a person, company, or country that joins an activity or field long after others have started it.
A few latecomers slipped quietly into the back row after Sahil began his speech.
collocation: latecomers slipped into [seats]
Renata apologised as a latecomer because her train had been delayed.
register: 'apologise as a latecomer' (polite)
The teacher kept a spare chair by the door for latecomers to the morning class.
Matthew was the last latecomer to arrive at the wedding, just before the ceremony ended.
Latecomers will not be allowed into the theatre until the first scene has finished.
- straggler
more informal; emphasises lagging behind a group on the move
- tardy arrival
more formal; common in school reports and workplace policies
- late adopter
used specifically for technology and trends, not for events
- early bird
informal; someone who arrives noticeably early
- pioneer
the first to enter a field or develop an idea (contrasts with broader 'latecomer to a field')
文法句型
a/the latecomer to [event/place]
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the plural ('latecomers') as a group label in announcements and signs for events with a fixed start time. Often followed by the preposition 'to' before the event or activity ('a latecomer to the meeting', 'a latecomer to the market').